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Morphine induced saccharin aversion in α-methyltyrosine pretreated rats

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Abstract

Rats pretreated with l-α-methyltyrosine (AMT) and then given pairings of saccharin drinking and morphine infusion subsequently showed a reduced preference for saccharin over water, when compared with control rats. Control conditions were AMT pretreatment with saccharin-saline pairings, saline pretreatment with saccharin-morphine pairings, and saline pretreatment with saccharin-saline pairings. A second experiment also showed significantly greater saccharin aversion with morphine-infused, AMT-pretreated rats than with saline-infused, AMT-pretreated rats although the morphine dosage was lower than that used in Experiment 1. These results suggest that morphine is aversive to rats that have been treated with AMT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychology and Pharmacology, University of Mississippi, University, 38677, Mississippi

    Wayne R. Coussens, William F. Crowder & W. Marvin Davis

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  1. Wayne R. Coussens
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  2. William F. Crowder
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  3. W. Marvin Davis
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This research was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grant MH 13570-03.

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Coussens, W.R., Crowder, W.F. & Davis, W.M. Morphine induced saccharin aversion in α-methyltyrosine pretreated rats. Psychopharmacologia 29, 151–157 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00422647

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00422647

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